Imperial Beach Pier – No report this month. We really need a reporter for this pier! How To Get There: From I-5 take the Palm Ave. (Hwy. 75) exit and follow it to where Palm Ave. and Hwy. 75 divide. Follow Palm Ave. to Seacoast Dr., turn left and it will take you right to the pier.

Ocean Beach Pier — Shirley, at the pier’s bait shop, says most of the action has been on mackerel but she’s getting reports on fairly good action at night for both sharks and rays. Not much else. How To Get There: From the north, take I-5 to the Sea World Dr. exit and follow it until it turns off to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. From the south, take I- 5 to the Nimitz Blvd. exit, then follow that road to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Follow Sunset Cliffs Blvd. to Newport Ave., turn right and follow the road to the pier parking lot.

Crystal Pier – Pam at the pier’s bait shop said it’s mostly mackerel and other top-water baitfish such as jacksmelt. Not much is happening on the bottom. How To get There: Take I-5 to Garnet Ave. then take Garnet west to the foot of the pier.

Pepper Park Pier — No report although there should be a few mackerel and some bass. We need a reporter! How To Get There: From I-5 take the 24th Street off-ramp west to Tidelands Avenue and go left (south) on Tidelands to the end.

Bayside Park Pier — No report although some croakers and sharays should be available. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the J Street off ramp and go west. Take J Street to Tidelands Ave., turn right. Take Tidelands to Sandpiper Way, turn right. Take Sandpiper to Bayside Parkway, urn left and follow the road to the park.

Embarcadero Marina Pier — No report although the mackerel and bass (kelp and sand) should be hitting along with some sharays. We need a reporter! How To Get There: From the I-5 south, take the Front Street exit south to Market (just stay on Front Street, it runs into Market), take Market west to Harbor Dr. Turn left on Harbor Dr. and take it to 8th Ave., turn right onto Convention Way (formerly Harbor St.). Follow it a short block to 5th Ave. and the pier. It seems that with the new Convention Center the city is constantly working on these streets near the pier and renaming them; if you get confused remember that the park and pier are immediately to the southwest of the Convention Center. From I-5 North, approaching from the south, take the J Street exit, then go straight, three blocks up to Market, turn left and take it from there.

Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) — Need a reporter although bass (a variety) always seem to be around as well as a mix of sharays (mostly round stingrays and bat rays). How To Get There: From San Diego, take the Coronado Bay Bridge (Highway 75) to Coronado. Once over the bridge you are on Third Street. Simply follow it to B Avenue, turn right, and follow it to the front of The Old Ferry Landing — the intersection of First Street and B Avenue. The pier sits behind the shops in the complex.

Shelter Island Pier — Dennis Borlek from the pier’s bait shop says a few mackerel and small bass are being caught. How To Get There: Take I-5 or I-8 to Rosecrans (Hwy. 209) and go west, turn left at Shelter Island Dr. and follow the road until you see the pier and the entrance to the parking lot.

Oceanside Pier — Paul, at the Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle, said things are relatively quiet although anglers are still getting quite a few mackerel, an occasional BIG spotfin croaker (inshore), some sargo (mid-pier), and a few sharks and rays. One guy got about a 50-pound 7-gill shark shortly before I called and Paul said he had actually seen two 7-gills swimming near the bait shop. So, there are some fish available. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.

Oceanside Harbor Pier — No report although some croakers and bass should be available. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.

Orange County Piers

San Clemente Pier — Josh at Hogan's Bait And Tackle, 34320 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point said things are fairly slow. Most of the action inshore is on croakers (use worms) while the mid-pier area to the end is yielding up some calico (kelp) bass, mainly on anchovies and squid. Out at the end there remains decent action of small leopard sharks and bat rays. There are a few mackerel on top but it’s been spotty at best. How to Get There: From I-5 take any of several exit streets west to El Camino Real, follow it to the center of town, and from there take Del Mar down to the pier.

Dana Harbor Pier — Josh at Hogan's Bait And Tackle, 34320 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point said not much is going on at the pier. Mainly it’s small perch and small croakers. How To Get There: The pier is located in the Dana Cove Park area of Dana Point Harbor. From the Pacific Coast Highway take Green Lantern Road south to the harbor, turn left on Cove Road, and follow it to the pier.

Balboa Pier — Our reporter Snookie says, “It's been interesting fishing. We have had lots of bait in the surf area, so we have been getting lots of halibut even if they have been small part of the time. I have gotten one keeper at just 22 inches. I have gotten several from 19 to 20 1/2 inches. I have seen two keepers caught by the snaggers that were legal. One was 25 inches and the other was 23 inches. Everything was caught last week or the week before. Have seen a few actual barred surf perch caught on gulp. I also caught a nice shovelnose guitarfish on my small pole. That is really work! There are still mackerel toward the end of pier. The whales are beginning to come through now. The weather has been perfect for quite a while now, so it makes it easy to see the whales if they are around.” How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take Newport Blvd. which will turn into Balboa Blvd., follow it west to Palm Street. Turn right and follow it to the pier and the adjacent parking lot.

Newport Pier — Generally about the same report as at the Balboa Pier. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turnoff and proceed west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place.

Huntington Beach Pier — Amanda at the “Let’s Go Fishing B&T” on the pier says things are slow although some mackerel and stingrays continue to be caught; the mackerel are mid-pier to the end with the stingrays in close. How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.

Seal Beach Pier — Rada at Big Fish Tackle says fishing is slow at the pier. A few mackerel are being caught on top and a few croakers on the bottom but, as said, it’s slow. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.

Los Angeles County Piers

Belmont Pier — Rada at Big Fish Tackle says fishing is similar to that at the Seal Beach Pier—slow. An occasional mackerel is showing in the mid-pier area and a few croakers inshore. Not much else. How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, and then go south to 7th Street, turn west (right) until you come to Ximeno Ave. and then turn left. Follow it to Livingston Dr. and go west. You will see signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier. From the south take the Pacific Coast Highway to 2nd. Street (Westminister becomes 2nd. Street when it crosses PCH), go west, follow to Livingston Dr. Follow it to signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier and parking lot.

Shoreline Aquatic Park Piers — No report this month but mackerel, jacksmelt and the usual white croakers should be available with a cast out from the pier. How to Get There: From downtown Long Beach, take Pine Avenue south to Shoreline Drive. For the northernmost pier #1 follow Shoreline Avenue west and follow it around the lagoon to where the street ends. For the southernmost piers #2-#5 follow Shoreline Drive east to the markings for Shoreline Village, continue past the shopping complex, and follow the road out to near the end of the peninsula. You will see the piers.

Cabrillo Pier (San Pedro) — No report this month although some mackerel and jacksmelt should be available in top-water areas. How To Get There: Take the Harbor Freeway (I-110) south; it will turn into Gaffey St. Follow it to 22nd Street and turn left. Follow 22nd St. to Pacific Ave. and turn right. Follow Pacific Ave. to 36th Street and the entrance to Cabrillo Park.

Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon, Catalina Island) – It’s the normal mix of fish — rock wrasse, senorita, opaleye, sheephead, jacksmelt, and kelp bass. Use sea-worms, frozen peas and small pieces of market shrimp. How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the pier, which is located at the foot of Catalina Avenue.

Cabrillo Mole (Avalon, Catalina Island) — Some bonito continue to come and go throughout the day while the usual mix is found by the pier — kelp bass, opaleye, sheephead, halfmoon, blacksmith, kelpfish, smelt. How To Get There: The trick is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the mole that sits right where most boats disembark.

Redondo Beach Pier — Melanie at the Redondo Coffee Shop and Bait Shop reported that things are slow. Some days there have been mackerel but some days there is nothing. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.

Hermosa Beach Pier — No report this month although some jacksmelt and a few mackerel should be around. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.

Venice Pier — No report this month although some jacksmelt and a few mackerel should be around.How To Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.

Santa Monica Pier—John, at the piers bait and tackle shop, said things have been slow. Expect an occasional mackerel and possibly a perch or two under the pier. How to Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.

Malibu Pier — Ginny at Wylie’s Bait and Tackle says the weather and the fishing has been good. Anglers are reporting quite a few halibut (unusual for this time of the year) along with good numbers of mackerel, a few perch, and lots of small calico (kelp) bass. The divers even report that there are quite a few sheephead in the area but so far no report of any from the pier. How To Get There: The pier fronts on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) so just drive until you see it.
Ventura & Santa Barbara County Piers

Port Hueneme Pier — No report this month although there should be a few jacksmelt; surfperch numbers should also be going up. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take Hueneme Rd. west until it turns into Port. At Ventura Rd turn left and follow it to Surfside Dr. Turn left again and follow it to the park.

Ventura Pier — No report this month although fishing for surfperch should be decent to good. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.

Stearns Wharf — Tiffany at Hook, Line & Sinker (4010-5 Calle Real, Santa Barbara) said most of the reports she’s been getting is about bat rays at the pier. She said some piling perch are also showing up along with an occasional halibut. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take Castillo St. or State St. west to the beach and follow signs to the pier.

Goleta Pier — Tiffany at Hook, Line & Sinker (4010-5 Calle Real, Santa Barbara) said it’s a mix with lots of mackerel showing up, some small rockfish near the pipe-reef, an occasional halibut, and a few piling perch falling to the regulars. [Her bait shop on the pier is currently closed and will probably reopen May 1.] How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Hwy. 217/Airport exit. Follow it to Sandspit Rd. and the Goleta Beach Park turnoff. Follow this to the park and the pier.

Gaviota Pier — The pier remains closed (for 3+years). Evidently it’s not a priority for the state. How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff down to the beach and pier.

I haven't really been fishing due to being busy BUT I had some new equipmet to test out. SO after grocery shopping, I headed straight to J Street. Just me, a rod and reel, and a small box of plastics. I wouldn't consider myself a local but I do have knoledge fishing the pier. My target was Spotted bay bass and that's what I got. As usual had to pull out all the stops and use my "J Street" techniques acquired over the years. The bass were all short and returned with the largest being 11". I DO notice that people do really well with cut mackerel at dusk, if they are in the right area.